Continental Stores

I visit this shop quite often, as my work space is in that general area. I was there yesterday to get some food and pastries with a couple of colleagues and even though the coffee and service were pretty good and the cakes and pastries absolutely spectacular and low-key the best collecton not only in the area but generally in London, the food was a big let down. I had the portobello mushroom and fried egg dish and it wasn't an enjoyable experience. The mushrooms were greasy and overcooked, kinda chewy. The yolk of the fried egg was completely set and the white looked a bit steamed, as if they placed it in the pan when the oil was barely hot and put a lid on it. No point in serving fried eggs without a runny yolk, in my opinion. The goat cheese was very tasty and the cavolo nero pesto tasted pretty ordinary. One of my colleagues had scrambled eggs and they looked great, he was really happy with it. The other colleague had a shakshuka and he said it lacked salt and had a hit of burnt. His eggs were pretty nicely poached. However, the cakes and pastries were the real standouts. A great mix of simple, unique and borderline bonkers items is what I look for in my cafe's cake display and they delivered on all fronts. The chocolate chip cookie is my go to jam, but if you love coffee, dunk the chocolate caramel almond cookie in your coffee and take a trip to a different realm. So many textures! The black sesame and white chocolate gf cake is elegant and perfectly balanced. My colleague thoroughly enjoyed the blueberry grandma tarte, and even though he didn't understand the name straight away, he got the message when he tried it. All three of us agreed on the nostalgia factor. And finally, the maple pecan pumpkin pie croissant. I'm an avid pastry hunter and even I were impressed by this. I've never seen this combination anywhere. Truly unique and absolutely delicious. I hope the food will become as good as the cakes and coffee. Then this place will really shine.

Good Food | Nice, Compact Location | Excellent Service | Highly Recommended —- Detailed Review Below — Store St Espresso is an independent, happening cafe in the Russell Square area in Central London, serving a small selection of cafe items aside from their signature espresso drinks. I ordered a flat white and got a very well-crafted espresso drink - with two excellent ristretto shots blended in perfectly into the microfoamed milk. Their food items - although I did not try them myself - looked equally good. Next time! Verdict: Highly recommended Food/ Quality - 5/5 Location/ Ambiance - 5/5 Price (Value for Money) - 4/5 Service - 4/5